Counting Blessings: Looking Like Christmas

Today's Blessing:  Christmas Trees, Christmas Lights, and More

I'm generally pretty good about waiting until after Thanksgiving to pull out the Christmas.  In fact, I'm usually so busy up to that point that the days after Thanksgiving are the "loll in the storm!"

So today Cody and I pulled all the Christmas stuff out from under the stairs.  It's amazing how much stuff can fit into an "itty, bitty living space!"  Our main objective was to get to the Christmas tree and it's always way in the back so we have to pull everything out.  Within an hours time though we had the tree up and ready to decorate.

It is really nice having an extra set of hands to help me out!  When Cody and Jessica do get married I'll have to beg some of my kids to come home and help their poor old mom decorate...or maybe Scott and I will just forego all the decorating and become bah humbugs!  Ha, ha.  Nah, I love all the decorations too much!  I especially love the Christmas lights!  It is my favorite thing at night to sit in the front room with just the Christmas lights on and feel the peace that surrounds me as all is quiet and the lights bring in warmth and happiness somehow.  If I could, I'd put lights around everything!

Our tree is just a "modge podge" of ornaments,
But most have memories tucked inside each of them!

My favorite ornaments are these mirror ones that I made years ago...
Such sweet memories there!!

I've always loved this one!  A gift from Bishop Burr and his wife
when Scott was serving with him.

Our first ornaments!  I made a bunch of these and that was all we had for our Christmas tree.
I loved to do counted cross-stitch.

When the kids were small, we would have a "Tree Trimming Party" for FHE on the Monday after Thanksgiving.
As part of the party, the kids would make a new ornament...this was our very first!

My second main objective today was to find the advent wreath and get it ready.  It's hard to believe, but tomorrow starts advent (the four Sundays before Christmas)!  With Thanksgiving so late this year it seems like advent just popped right in there without any warning!  Cody found the figurines, and I found the wreath, and after dinner Scott, Cody and I all went to Walmart and bought peanut clusters.  It wouldn't be advent without peanut clusters!!

Our Advent Wreath...yup, I've even put lights on it!

Aww...I Love Christmas!!